POWER FOR MARLBOROUGH.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17117, 12 April 1921, Page 5

POWER FOR MARLBOROUGH.

THE OLAEENCE SCHEME. Mr Will Lawson, of Blenheim, the organiser of the progress campaign in Marlbor o ugh, who is visiting Wellington, was questioned as to what progress was being made in connexion with hydroelectric power for the province. Mr Lawson stated', that the setting up of the« Power Board was still hanging firej pending the report of the Government Engineer on the cost of the Lake Eotoroa scheme —the big scheme that was proposed to supply all Nelson as well as Marlborough, but seeing, that the nearest point of demand was front 65 to 7Q miles from Kotoroa, it seemed to him that the schemo was not likely to be economically, sound, as the demand of such small and widely-scattered towns was not great enough to ensure cheapness. On the other hand, a much more feasible scheme for Marlborough was gaining favour by those who could see all round the question. This was a scheme to tap the Clarence river at a point 40 miles only from Blenheim.. This could be'done-by tunnelling half a mile through a hill, and piping the water of the Clarence into a creek, running in the opposite direction, which offered good falls for power It was understood that a 7ft Bqnare tunnel could be bored through the hill, and all plant and wiring provided, for a 5000-horse-power plant, for approximately £IOO.OOO. Further,, the supply could be led conveniently to Kaikoura, Ward, Seddon, Blenheim, Picton, and Havelock, as the line would traverse, for the greater part of its length, the existing coach road. At present there was opposition to the Clarence river scheme in some quarters, due to a mistaken sense of. loyalty to Nelson, but others with him were convinced that hydro-electric salvation for Marlborough lay in the Clarence river scheme, which was at present being ■ investigated by a Government engineer (Mr Sampson).